Rest structure, particularly for use in bathtubs



June 15, 1943. L UER 2,322,147

REST STRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN BATH TUBS Filed May 11, 1942 \23I 3 u 55 2 6 24 25 INVENTOR. fled Z/iNDflUEE.

Patented June 15, 1943 REST STRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN BATHTUBSFred Landauer, New York, N. Y.

Application May 11, 1942, Serial No. 442,482

6 Claims.

- This invention relates generally to supports or rest structurespreferably for use in baths or bath tubs and more particularly to backor foot rest devices.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for supportingor bearing back, foot or any other part or parts of a human body in bathtubs or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means fordetachably engaging said supporting or rest. means with a wall of thebath tub in which said rest means is held in position.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means toadjustably and lockingly position said supporting means.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear fromthe following disclosure thereof together with the attached drawingwhich illustrates certain forms of embodiments thereof. These forms areshown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, although it is tobe understood that the various instrumentalities of which theinventionconsists can be variously arranged and organized and that the inventionis not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of theinstrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawing:

Fig. lis a top plan view of a back or foot rest device made inaccordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of the deviceshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial side elevational view of the device in the stage ofassembling or dismantling.

In that form of embodiment shown in the drawing the device I consists ofthe bottom portion II and inclined portion I2. Bottom portion I ispreferably made to consist of two rails [3, I4 on which are fixedly andspacedly mounted a plurality of slats I5. These slats may be mounted onrails I3, I4 by means of wooden dowel-pins, screws or other conventionalattaching means (not shown). The spaces I6 between slats I are uniformand correspond approximately to the height of rails l1, l8 of theupright portion I2 for a purpose later described.

Upright portion I2 consists in addition to the rails I'I, I-8 of aplurality of slats I9 spacedly ar ranged and fixedly mounted thereon.Pivotally supported at 2|] on rail I'I, I8 are supporting legs or braces2| and 22. The length of said braces 2|, 22 is such that upon contactingthe top surface of rails I3, I 4 as at 23 the back or foot rest deviceI2 is held in proper angular position relatively to the bottom portion II. Since it is desirable to lock the device I2 in its positionillustrated in Fig. 2, it is preferable to cut a recess 24 in each ofthe lower ends of rails I7, 48 thus forming hook portions 25 which areadapted to engage the lower corner of the underface of slats I5 asclearly shown in Fig. 2.

Secured to first slat 26 of bottom member II and to the first slat 21 ofthe upright portion I2 by means of screw eyes 28, 29, respectively, is atensioning means 30 comprising tension spring 3| and suitable hookarrangement 32, 33 the construction being such, that the spring 30 maybe detached from hook 33 as at 34, thus enabling the device II) to bedismantled, as shown in Fig. 3.

If desired, when the device III is used in bath tubs to prevent thedevice from slipping therein, aplurality of suction cups 35 ofconventional structure may be applied to the underface of rails I3 andI4 and in spaced relation as depicted in Figs. 2 and 3.

The operation of the device is as follows: The horizontally extendingsupport II i fixed to the surface of the bottom of a bath tub by meansof the suction cups 35. When the device In is used as a foot rest, theperson reclining in the bath tub abuts his feet against upright portionI2, and to this effect the latter may be adjusted relatively to thesupport II, so that a person when treated in the bath tub, for instance,with electro-therapeutic appliances, can assume a fixed position in thebath tub, the device Ill being prevented from slipping therein.Accordingto Fig. 3, the upright portion I2 is placed with rails I1 andI8 within one of the spaces I6 between adjacent slats I5a, I51), andthen moved in the direction of arrow A, whereby the hook portion 25comes to lie underneath slat I 5a. The inclination of upright portion I2is then adjusted by means of braces 2| which pass with their lower ends23 through spaces I6 and abut on the surface of rails I3 and I4,respectively, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. In order to hold uprightportion I2 in position and to afford a certain resiliency for the deviceI2 relatively to the support II, the

aforementioned tensioning means 30 is brought in engagement with thehook arrangements 32, 33. so that the device I2 may move somewhat in thedirection of arrow B without disengagement of hook portions 25 from theunderface of slat I5a.

It is well understoodthat support and upright means hereinabovementioned may be made of any material, such as wood, plastic or rubbercovered material suitable for the purpose intended. It is also to benoted that the horizontal supporting means may be made of any suitablelength and may be composed of two or more parts connected with oneanother at the ends of the rails l3 and I4, so as to fit any lengths ofbath tubs.

It is to be noted that the horizontal support I I may be used withoutthe upright portion l2, for instance, underneath an overhead shower, toprevent slippage of a person standing in the bath tub, The suction meansmay be detachably fixed to the rails l3 and I4, and besides being usedat any preferred wall of the bath tub, may be replaceable by any othersupports or holding means, so as to make the device H3 also suitable forbeach purposes.

It will be observed that the rest structure according to the inventionmay further be used when children are to be treated in bath tubs ofconventional length. The positioning of the rest structure relatively toone of the ends of the bath tub determines then the effective length ofthe bath tub for the child to be treated.

Although, there has been disclosed and described in particular andconsiderable detail one of many possible forms of rest structuresembodying the invention, many modifications in size, proportions, shape,material, and arrangements of parts may be made to arrive at the spiritand result of this invention without departing from the principles ofthe invention set forth in the claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a substantiallyhorizontally extending support, a rest member connectable with saidsupport and disposed for back or feet of a person when in reclinedposition on said support, brace means pivotally disposed at said restmember and adapted to removably connect said member with said support,and means exerting tensile force arranged to extend between said restmember and said support to retain the connection of said rest memberwith said support.

2. A device of the character described comprising a substantiallyhorizontally extending sup port, a rest mett;er including meansengageable with said support and adapted to adjust said member inposition to said support, said means comprising hooks for engaging saidmember with said support and brace means for rigidly supporting saidrest member on said support, and means exerting tensile force tomaintain said brace means on said support.

3. A device of the character described comprising a substantiallyhorizontally extending support provided with spaced elements, a restmember having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end being adaptedfor insertion within the space between two adjacent elements, at leastone brace member rigidly supporting said rest member on said support,and means exerting tensile force maintaining said rest member inposition on said support, said means being arranged to extend be-.

tween said support and said upper end of said rest member.

4. A device of the character described comprising substantiallyhorizontally extending support, a rest member, said support beingprovided with spaced elements, said rest member being provided withhooks for engagement with one of said elements, and rigid brace meansconnected to said rest member and extending from said latter forengagement with said support, said brace means being positioned in saidengagement position on a portion of said support between adjacent spacedelements.

5. A device of the character described comprising a substantiallyhorizontally extending support, a rest member having an upper end, saidsupport being provided with spaced elements, said rest member beingprovided with hooks at its lower end for engagement thereof with one ofsaid elements, brace means arranged at said rest memher and providedwith a portion adapted to extend through a space between adjacentelements and to thereby adjust the inclination of said rest member onsaid support, and resilient means connected to said upper end of saidrest member and engageable with said support to retain said hooks inengagement with said one element and said brace means in adjustedposition on said support.

6. A device of the character described comprising an elongated,substantially fiat support, spaced elements arranged on said support, arest member for the back or feet of a person when reclining on saidsupport, one end of said rest member being hook-shaped for engagementwith one of said elements of said support and for ready removaltherefrom, and means arranged to extend between the other end of saidrest member and another of said elements positioned rearwardly of saidone element and adapted to maintain said rest member in assembly withand in predetermined angular relation to said support.

FRED LANDAUER.

